said,'distress yourself so about a dog? And you will catch cold, too, Godforbid.' (I was very lightly clad.) 'And if this dog has lost his lifein saving you, it may be taken as a great blessing vouchsafed him!'
"Though I did not agree with Praskovya, I went home. And next day asoldier of the garrison shot the mad dog. And it must have been itsdestined end: it was the first time in his life that the soldier hadfired a gun, though he had a medal for service in 1812. So this wasthe supernatural incident that happened to me."
The speaker ceased and began filling his pipe. We all looked at eachother in amazement.
"Well, perhaps, you have led a very virtuous life," Mr. Finoplentovbegan, "so in recompense ..."
But he broke off at that word, for he saw Porfiry Kapitonitch's cheeksgrow round and flushed while his eyes screwed up--he was on the pointof breaking into a guffaw.
"But if one admits the possibility of the supernatural, thepossibility of its participation in everyday life, so to say," AntonStepanitch began again, "then allow me to ask, what becomes of commonsense?"
None of us found anything to say in reply and we remained inperplexity as before.
1866.
* * * * *
THE WATCH
AN OLD MAN'S STORY
I
I will tell you my adventures with a watch. It is a curious story.
It happened at the very beginning of this century, in 1801. I had justreached my sixteenth year. I was living at Ryazan in a little woodenhouse not far from the bank of the river Oka with my father, my auntand my cousin; my mother I do not remember; she died three years afterher marriage; my father had no other children. His name was PorfiryPetrovitch. He was a quiet man, sickly and unattractive in appearance;he was employed in some sort of legal and--other--business. In olddays such were called attorneys, sharpers, nettle-seeds; he calledhimself a lawyer. Our domestic life was presided over by his sister,my aunt, an old maiden lady of fifty; my father, too, had passed hisfourth decade. My aunt was very pious, or, to speak bluntly, she was acanting hypocrite and a chattering magpie, who poked her nose intoeverything; and, indeed, she had not a kind heart like my father. Wewere not badly off, but had nothing to spare. My father had a brothercalled Yegor; but he had been sent to Siberia in the year 1797 forsome "seditious acts and Jacobin tendencies" (those were the words ofthe accusation).
Yegor's son David, my cousin, was left on my father's hands and livedwith us. He was only one year older than I; but I respected him andobeyed him as though he were quite grown up. He was a sensible fellowwith character; in appearance, thick-set and broad-shouldered with asquare face covered with freckles, with red hair, small grey eyes,thick lips, a short nose, and short fingers--a sturdy lad, infact--and strong for his age! My aunt could not endure him; my fatherwas positively afraid of him ... or perhaps he felt himself to blametowards him. There was a rumour that, if my father had not given hisbrother away, David's father would not have been sent to Siberia. Wewere both at the high school and in the same class and both fairlyhigh up in it; I was, indeed, a little better at my lessons thanDavid. I had a good memory but boys--as we all know!--do not thinkmuch of such superiority, and David remained my leader.
II
My name--you know--is Alexey. I was born on the seventh of March andmy name-day is the seventeenth. In accordance with the old-fashionedcustom, I was given the name of the saint whose festival fell on thetenth day after my birth. My godfather was a certain AnastasyAnastasyevitch Putchkov, or more exactly Nastasey Nastasyeitch, forthat was what everyone called him. He was a terribly shifty,pettifogging knave and bribe-taker--a thoroughly bad man; he had beenturned out of the provincial treasury and had had to stand his trialon more than one occasion; he was often of use to my father.... Theyused to "do business" together. In appearance he was a round, podgyfigure; and his face was like a fox's with a nose like an owl's. Hiseyes were brown, bright, also like a fox's, and he was always movingthem, those eyes, to right and to left, and he twitched his nose, too,as though he were sniffing the air. He wore shoes without heels, andwore powder every day, which was looked upon as very exceptional inthe provinces. He used to declare that he could not go without powderas he had to associate with generals and their ladies. Well, myname-day had come. Nastasey Nastasyeitch came to the house and said:
"I have never made you a present up to now, godson, but to make up forthat, look what a fine thing I have brought you to-day."
And he took out of his pocket a silver watch, a regular turnip, with arose tree engraved on the face and a brass chain. I was overwhelmedwith delight, while my aunt, Pelageya Petrovna, shouted at the top ofher voice:
"Kiss his hand, kiss his hand, dirty brat!"
I proceeded to kiss my godfather's hand, while my aunt went piping on:
"Oh, Nastasey Nastasyeitch! Why do you spoil him like this? How can hetake care of a watch? He will be sure to drop it, break it, or spoilit."
My father walked in, looked at the watch, thanked NastaseyNastasyeitch--somewhat carelessly, and invited him to his study. And Iheard my father say, as though to himself:
"If you think to get off _with that_, my man...." But I could notstay still. I put on the watch and rushed headlong to show my presentto David.
III
David took the watch, opened it and examined it attentively. He hadgreat mechanical ability; he liked having to do with iron, copper, andmetals of all sorts; he had provided himself with various instruments,and it was nothing for him to mend or even to make a screw, a key oranything of that kind.
David turned the watch about in his hands and muttering through histeeth (he was not talkative as a rule):
"Oh ... poor ..." added, "where did you get it?"
I told him that my godfather had given it me.
David turned his little grey eyes upon me:
"Nastasey?"
"Yes, Nastasey Nastasyeitch."
David laid the watch on the table and walked away without a word.
"Do you like it?" I asked.
"Well, it isn't that.... But if I were you, I would not take any sortof present from Nastasey."
"Why?"
"Because he is a contemptible person; and you ought not to be under anobligation to a contemptible person. And to say thank you to him, too.I suppose you kissed his hand?"
"Yes, Aunt made me."
David grinned--a peculiar grin--to himself. That was his way. He neverlaughed aloud; he considered laughter a sign of feebleness.
David's words, his silent grin, wounded me deeply. "So he inwardlydespises me," I thought. "So I, too, am contemptible in his eyes. Hewould never have stooped to this himself! He would not have acceptedpresents from Nastasey. But what am I to do now?"
Give back the watch? Impossible!
I did try to talk to David, to ask his advice. He told me that henever gave advice to anyone and that I had better do as I thoughtbest. As I thought best!! I remember I did not sleep all nightafterwards: I was in agonies of indecision. I was sorry to lose thewatch--I had laid it on the little table beside my bed; its tickingwas so pleasant and amusing ... but to feel that David despised me(yes, it was useless to deceive myself, he did despise me) ... thatseemed to me unbearable. Towards morning a determination had takenshape in me ... I wept, it is true--but I fell asleep upon it, and assoon as I woke up, I dressed in haste and ran out into the street. Ihad made up my mind to give my watch to the first poor person I met.
IV
I had not run far from home when I hit upon what I was looking for. Icame across a barelegged boy of ten, a ragged urchin, who was oftenhanging about near our house. I dashed up to him at once and, withoutgiving him or myself time to recover, offered him my watch.
The boy stared at me round-eyed, put one hand before his mouth, asthough he were afraid of being scalded--and held out the other.
"Take it, take it," I muttered, "it's mine, I give it you, you cansell it, and buy yourself ... something you want.... Good-bye."
I thrus
t the watch into his hand--and went home at a gallop. Stoppingfor a moment at the door of our common bedroom to recover my breath, Iwent up to David who had just finished dressing and was combing hishair.
"Do you know what, David?" I said in as unconcerned a tone as I could,"I have given away Nastasey's watch."
David looked at me and passed the brush over his temples.
"Yes," I added in the same businesslike voice, "I have given it away.There is a very poor boy, a beggar, you know, so I have given it tohim."
David put down the brush on the washing-stand.
"He can buy something useful," I went on, "with the money he can getfor it. Anyway, he will get something for it."
I paused.
"Well," David said at last, "that's a good thing," and he went off tothe schoolroom. I
Knock, Knock, Knock and Other Stories Page 26
